Everybody who’s been to Hampi has always said that it’s a great place. I’m yet to find a single person who thinks otherwise. I’ve always tried to understand what exactly is this hype about Hampi? There are ruins all over India, as a matter-of-fact, there are ruins all over the world...but what is it about Hampi??? Maybe you’ll get your answer by the end of this review.
To tell you the truth, we didn’t get to see the whole of Hampi because of time constraints, and I wouldn’t have written a review if I didn’t see more than 50% of the place. But. There is something about this place. Something that may make words seem inadequate. There were 12 of us from very diverse backgrounds who decided to embark on this expedition. We hired a 12 seater TT from Bangalore which is about 8-9 hours away.
The journey is quite good, especially the 6 laned tolled-highway till Chitradurga, and the hundreds of windmills perched on quaint hill tops of Chitradurga. We were fully aware of the fact that this was off-season and temperatures in Hampi hover around 40 degrees in Summer, and if it doesn’t rain in June, it’s peak summer! Off season travel has it’s own advantages - the unpleasant climate discomfort is overshadowed by off season rates and the absence of tourists.
We decided to stay in Hippie Island, but had no clue on how to get there. Most guides don’t even mention its existence. We reached Hampi, only to realise that to stay in Hippie Island, you need to get across the Tungabhadra river. Now thats not a problem if you’ve NOT come by your own vehicle, because you could always cross the river by coracles. So we had to travel for another 40 odd kilometres to reach the island from another route. We then realised that we may’ve as well parked the vehicle in Hampi itself and crossed the river by boat....as there’s not much you can do in Hampi on a vehicle. Hampi is best explored by foot or bicycles.
First impressions:
-The ruins ARE amazing! Period. I don’t know what else I can say about it. The humongous boulders strewn over for kilometres gives you an eerie feeling. It conjures images of an ancient, yet prosperous and bustling empire, with well-paved roads, public buildings and places of worship. And now, all you see are scattered and desolate ruins.
-For some funny reason, the weather in Hampi was amazing. It was not hot, but was very Very VERY windy!!!!! The wind howled for 24 hours, day and night, and the granite boulders ensured that these winds didn’t cause the slightest of dust storms. I always imagined Hampi to be a hot, dusty, arid and treeless place. But it was not to be, maybe except for the trees part......not too many of those around.
-Hippie island is quite like Goa, minus the commercialization. Accomodation is spartan. The Island has a handful of places that rent out tiny cylindrical cottages with tiled roofs. Most places are electrified, with attached baths, 2 beds, fans etc. The off season rates are about Rs 150/- per cottage per night. Quite reasonable.
-Most of the places on the island dish out Israeli cuisine, as a bulk of the tourists come from the Holy Land.
-It is not uncommon to see black boards outside restaurants that display Ravioli on their menu, or menu’s in Hebrew!!! It is also not uncommon to see restaurants and shops liberally display banners outside their shops proclaiming ’’Recommended in Lonely Planet’’!!!!!!!!, though the publication’s endorsement is sometimes circumspect.
-As for some travelers tit-bits, Hampi has a decent share of internet cafes with ’’USB Card Readers’’, so shutterbugs, worry not!
-Liquor cannot be sold in Hampi, so make sure you carry your stock. Most restaurants in Hippie Island will gladly allow you to get your own stuff, provided you dine at their establishment & order for soft drinks to go along with the booze. Im not sure if this is allowed during the season. Off season also means that you will have to inform the restaurant a couple of hours in advance as to how many people would be dining, and what you’d like to order as the main course. The quantity is satisfying, the food is tasty and the prices are reasonable.
-The Tungabhadra can be crossed by foot during the summer…as the water is knee deep in some places. Coracles will take you across in other seasons. The river separates Hampi from Hippie Island.
-Mango Tree is a nice quiet hangout place in Hampi, located in the midst of banana plantations. Good place to eat, relax and enjoy the tranquility under the shade of trees.
-Rave parties do happen on full moon nights during the season – at least that’s what we heard from the locals.
The only places I managed to see were:
The Stone Chariot,
The Musical Temple (pretty cool musical pillars),
2 Temples,
The “Soole Bazaar” ruins (prostitute market in Kannada)
and one of the hills.
The other hill is the Hanuman Temple Hill…which I couldn’t visit.
-A shopkeeper in Hippie Island offered to guide us through the ruins for half a day. Only 3 of us managed to get up at 5 in the morning to climb the “other hill” to view the sunrise. The view is quite good, and there’s also an abandoned temple on the top of the hill that a few use to camp in. It’s a good idea to hire a guide if you go for a short visit like we did.
Finally. Do not go to Hampi if you can’t do without the luxuries. Do not make the mistake of staying in Hospet, which is around 15 Km away and is the closest major town. Do not expect to have the luck I had where the weather was concerned. And finally, please, please, please do not litter the place. That means no throwing plastics and broken booze bottles, & no graffiti on the ruins. This place is about 500 years old, lets not destroy it in a decade.
Fortunately, the litter menace is still under control-as of now, compared to most other tourist destinations in India.